Saturday, February 18, 2017

AYUTTHAYA, 27 December 2017 (NNT) - A special task force visited an elephant camp in Ayutthaya to prove whether two suspected elephants were legally obtained.

The mahouts and staff at the elephant camp, also known as the Royal Elephant Kraal & Village, initially refused to allow the task force to conduct DNA tests on two male elephants named Ko Phaya Phet and TG amid fears they would be taken away.

Chaiwat Limlikhit-aksorn, who led the special task force in this operation, said the animals were supposed to be in the custody of a responsible agency for an investigation to find out where they were from originally.

The elephant camp decided to move them to Ayutthaya before the investigation could be carried out. The camp owner, Romthongsai Meephan, confirmed both animals had been obtained lawfully.

She also showed documents issued by the Department of Provincial Administration to prove her innocence.

Romthingsai later allowed the blood tests to be conducted after hours of conversation with Deputy Director-General of the Department of Naitonal Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation and the President of Phra Kochasarn Foudantion, Laithonglian Meephan.

The blood samples taken from the elephants will be sent to three different labs to find out if they are related to other elephants elsewhere.

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